Kinojo

The top of the mountain is relatively flat offering an enjoyable hike around the castle grounds. Be sure to walk the full length and enjoy the incredible views of the surrounding valleys. The closest station is Hattori Station which is about a 5.5km hike to the castle. The first 2.1km is relatively

History

The history of Kinojo is unclear since it is not mentioned in any historical records. It is believed that it was built by the Yamato Court in the Seventh Century to defend from foreign invaders. There were some 30 castles built around that time in Western Japan, of which, 27 have been located. Kinojo was discovered in 1971 and is currently thought to be the oldest castle in Japan. The outer wall is approximately 2.8 km long, with 4 main gates and one large defensive platform.

Field Notes

The top of the mountain is relatively flat offering an enjoyable hike around the castle grounds. Be sure to walk the full length and enjoy the incredible views of the surrounding valleys. The closest station is Hattori Station which is about a 5.5km hike to the castle. The first 2.1km is relatively flat but the rest is all uphill. If you want to take a taxi it costs about 2000 yen but there are none waiting at the station. You need to reserve in advance. If you don't know where to call to make a reservation or can't speak Japanese, ask them to help you at the Tourist Information Center underground at Okayama Station. Taxis are relatively available at Soja Station but it will cost over 3000 yen.

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Gallery

West Gate
West Gate
West Gate
West Gate
West Gate
West Gate
West Gate
West Gate
Inside the West Gate
Kakuro, a defensive platform
View from the Kakuro
West Gate
West Gate
Tsuijibei walls
stone paved road atop the wall
water drainage gates
South Gate
East Gate
stone walls
earthen wall
North Gate
North Gate
North Gate
remains of a wall
building foundations

Castle Profile
English Name	Kinojo
Japanese Name	鬼ノ城
Alternate Names	Kinojozan
Founder	Yamato Court (Yamato Choutei)
Year Founded	7th C.
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Top 100 Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Year Reconstructed	2001
Features	gates, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Hattori Sta. (Kibi Line); 2000 yen Taxi or 5.5km hike (see notes below)
Hours
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Soja, Okayama Prefecture
Coordinates	34.72828, 133.7652
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2011
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2010
Admin Visits	November 20, 2010

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